Indian National Pleads Guilty in India-Backed Plot to Assassinate Sikh Activist on US Soil
Nikhil Gupta admitted in a Manhattan federal court to murder-for-hire charges in the failed assassination of Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a case that has strained US-India relations and raised alarms about transnational repression.
14. Feb. 2026, 08:02
An Indian national pleaded guilty on Friday in a Manhattan federal court to three criminal charges stemming from his role in a foiled plot to assassinate a prominent Sikh separatist leader on American soil — a case that has cast a long shadow over the diplomatic relationship between Washington and New Delhi Indian national admits role in US Sikh leader’s assassination plotaljazeera.com·SecondaryAn Indian national has admitted in a United States court that he took part in a 2023 scheme to hire a hitman to assassinate a prominent Sikh separatist leader living in New York, federal prosecutors said. Nikhil Gupta, 54, pleaded guilty on Friday over his alleged role in attempting to make contact with a hitman to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a Sikh separatist who holds dual US and Canadian citizenship..
Nikhil Gupta, 54, admitted to murder-for-hire, conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, and conspiracy to commit money laundering in connection with the 2023 scheme to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a dual US-Canadian citizen and lawyer at the New York-based advocacy group Sikhs for Justice . Under a plea agreement, Gupta faces a recommended sentence of 20 to 24 years in prison, with sentencing scheduled for May 29 Indian man accused of plot to assassinate US activist pleads guiltytheguardian.com·SecondaryNikhil Gupta faces up to 40 years over alleged India-backed attempt to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannun The Indian man who US prosecutors accused of plotting to kill a prominent US-based activist after being recruited by an agent of the Indian government has pleaded guilty to three criminal charges, according to a spokesperson for the US attorney’s office in Manhattan..
The plot, as laid out by federal prosecutors, reads like an espionage thriller gone wrong. In 2023, Gupta was recruited by Vikash Yadav, described by the FBI as an officer of India's external intelligence agency, to arrange the killing of Pannun . Gupta transferred $15,000 to someone he believed was a hired assassin. That person turned out to be a confidential source working with the US Drug Enforcement Administration Indian man accused of plot to assassinate US activist pleads guiltytheguardian.com·SecondaryNikhil Gupta faces up to 40 years over alleged India-backed attempt to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannun The Indian man who US prosecutors accused of plotting to kill a prominent US-based activist after being recruited by an agent of the Indian government has pleaded guilty to three criminal charges, according to a spokesperson for the US attorney’s office in Manhattan..
"Nikhil Gupta plotted to assassinate a US citizen in New York City," said US Attorney Jay Clayton. "He thought that from outside this country he could kill someone in it without consequence, simply for exercising their American right to free speech. But he was wrong, and he will face justice" Indian national admits role in US Sikh leader’s assassination plotaljazeera.com·SecondaryAn Indian national has admitted in a United States court that he took part in a 2023 scheme to hire a hitman to assassinate a prominent Sikh separatist leader living in New York, federal prosecutors said. Nikhil Gupta, 54, pleaded guilty on Friday over his alleged role in attempting to make contact with a hitman to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a Sikh separatist who holds dual US and Canadian citizenship..
James C. Barnacle Jr., head of the FBI's New York office, confirmed that Gupta had worked "at the direction and coordination of an Indian government employee" . Yadav, who was separately indicted in the case, remains at large and is the subject of a federal arrest warrant Indian national admits role in US Sikh leader’s assassination plotaljazeera.com·SecondaryAn Indian national has admitted in a United States court that he took part in a 2023 scheme to hire a hitman to assassinate a prominent Sikh separatist leader living in New York, federal prosecutors said. Nikhil Gupta, 54, pleaded guilty on Friday over his alleged role in attempting to make contact with a hitman to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a Sikh separatist who holds dual US and Canadian citizenship..
The guilty plea represents a significant escalation in what has become one of the most sensitive flashpoints in US-India relations. The case first exploded into public view in September 2023, when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged that agents of the Indian government were behind the June 2023 murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, another Sikh activist, who was shot dead outside a temple in British Columbia Indian national admits role in US Sikh leader’s assassination plotaljazeera.com·SecondaryAn Indian national has admitted in a United States court that he took part in a 2023 scheme to hire a hitman to assassinate a prominent Sikh separatist leader living in New York, federal prosecutors said. Nikhil Gupta, 54, pleaded guilty on Friday over his alleged role in attempting to make contact with a hitman to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a Sikh separatist who holds dual US and Canadian citizenship..
India dismissed Canada's accusations as "absurd" and politically motivated. But the narrative shifted dramatically in November 2023, when the US Attorney's office in Manhattan unsealed Gupta's indictment, lending credibility to Trudeau's claims and revealing a parallel plot targeting Pannun on American territory Indian national admits role in US Sikh leader’s assassination plotaljazeera.com·SecondaryAn Indian national has admitted in a United States court that he took part in a 2023 scheme to hire a hitman to assassinate a prominent Sikh separatist leader living in New York, federal prosecutors said. Nikhil Gupta, 54, pleaded guilty on Friday over his alleged role in attempting to make contact with a hitman to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a Sikh separatist who holds dual US and Canadian citizenship..
The Indian government has sought to distance itself from the conspiracy. Officials in New Delhi have characterized any involvement as the work of a "rogue agent" and insisted that such operations are contrary to government policy Indian national admits role in US Sikh leader’s assassination plotaljazeera.com·SecondaryAn Indian national has admitted in a United States court that he took part in a 2023 scheme to hire a hitman to assassinate a prominent Sikh separatist leader living in New York, federal prosecutors said. Nikhil Gupta, 54, pleaded guilty on Friday over his alleged role in attempting to make contact with a hitman to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a Sikh separatist who holds dual US and Canadian citizenship.. But critics see the guilty plea as undermining that defense.
"The Modi government's claim that the murder-for-hire conspiracy was the act of a 'rogue agent' collapses under the weight of the evidence presented in federal court," Pannun said in a statement after the hearing Indian national admits role in US Sikh leader’s assassination plotaljazeera.com·SecondaryAn Indian national has admitted in a United States court that he took part in a 2023 scheme to hire a hitman to assassinate a prominent Sikh separatist leader living in New York, federal prosecutors said. Nikhil Gupta, 54, pleaded guilty on Friday over his alleged role in attempting to make contact with a hitman to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a Sikh separatist who holds dual US and Canadian citizenship.. He described Gupta as "just a foot soldier" and called on US authorities to pursue those in India who authorized the plot Indian man accused of plot to assassinate US activist pleads guiltytheguardian.com·SecondaryNikhil Gupta faces up to 40 years over alleged India-backed attempt to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannun The Indian man who US prosecutors accused of plotting to kill a prominent US-based activist after being recruited by an agent of the Indian government has pleaded guilty to three criminal charges, according to a spokesperson for the US attorney’s office in Manhattan..
About two dozen Sikh supporters attended Friday's hearing, some chanting victory slogans afterward and holding a prayer service outside the courthouse while waving yellow "Khalistan" flags — the name they envision for a future sovereign Sikh state in northern India's Punjab region Indian man accused of plot to assassinate US activist pleads guiltytheguardian.com·SecondaryNikhil Gupta faces up to 40 years over alleged India-backed attempt to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannun The Indian man who US prosecutors accused of plotting to kill a prominent US-based activist after being recruited by an agent of the Indian government has pleaded guilty to three criminal charges, according to a spokesperson for the US attorney’s office in Manhattan..
Pannun, who India designates as a "terrorist" but who describes himself as a human rights lawyer, struck a defiant tone. "I am ready to take India's bullet rather than take a step back and live like a slave," he told the Associated Press. "Working towards the independence of the Sikh state of Khalistan is my life's mission, until either I am killed or Punjab becomes an independent country" Indian man accused of plot to assassinate US activist pleads guiltytheguardian.com·SecondaryNikhil Gupta faces up to 40 years over alleged India-backed attempt to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannun The Indian man who US prosecutors accused of plotting to kill a prominent US-based activist after being recruited by an agent of the Indian government has pleaded guilty to three criminal charges, according to a spokesperson for the US attorney’s office in Manhattan..
The timing of the guilty plea adds another layer of diplomatic complexity. Earlier this month, President Donald Trump praised Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as "one of my greatest friends" after India reportedly agreed to halt Russian oil purchases in exchange for reduced US tariffs Indian national admits role in US Sikh leader’s assassination plotaljazeera.com·SecondaryAn Indian national has admitted in a United States court that he took part in a 2023 scheme to hire a hitman to assassinate a prominent Sikh separatist leader living in New York, federal prosecutors said. Nikhil Gupta, 54, pleaded guilty on Friday over his alleged role in attempting to make contact with a hitman to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a Sikh separatist who holds dual US and Canadian citizenship.. US officials have said there is no evidence that Modi personally knew of the assassination plot, according to the New York Times Indian national admits role in US Sikh leader’s assassination plotaljazeera.com·SecondaryAn Indian national has admitted in a United States court that he took part in a 2023 scheme to hire a hitman to assassinate a prominent Sikh separatist leader living in New York, federal prosecutors said. Nikhil Gupta, 54, pleaded guilty on Friday over his alleged role in attempting to make contact with a hitman to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a Sikh separatist who holds dual US and Canadian citizenship..
But analysts warn the case could still reverberate. The Wire reported that the plea will intensify pressure on Washington to pursue Yadav and other alleged handlers, potentially spurring congressional hearings, sanctions proposals, or human-rights conditions on future US-India cooperation.
For advocates of Sikh self-determination, the courtroom drama in Manhattan marks a vindication — proof, they say, that India's reach extends beyond its borders in ways that the world can no longer ignore. For New Delhi, it represents a legal and diplomatic headache that shows no sign of fading, even as the Trump administration signals its desire for closer ties with India on trade and geopolitics.
Gupta's sentencing in May will be the next major milestone. But with Yadav still at large and questions mounting about how far up the chain of command the plot reached, the full reckoning may be far from over.
KI-Transparenz
Warum dieser Artikel geschrieben wurde und wie redaktionelle Entscheidungen getroffen wurden.
Warum dieses Thema
A guilty plea in a state-sponsored assassination plot on US soil is a major legal and diplomatic event. The case implicates Indian intelligence services in transnational repression, strains a critical bilateral relationship during a period of US-India rapprochement under Trump, and raises fundamental questions about sovereignty and extraterritorial operations by allied governments. The story has global implications for how democracies handle allegations of state-directed violence against dissidents.
Quellenauswahl
The two cluster signals from The Guardian and Al Jazeera are both tier-1 international news sources providing detailed, independently reported accounts of the court proceedings. The Guardian's Stephanie Kirchgaessner is a recognized investigative reporter on security issues. Al Jazeera's account includes direct courtroom observations and post-hearing interviews with Pannun. Both sources cite official DOJ statements and FBI officials on the record.
Redaktionelle Entscheidungen
This article draws on two tier-1 sources (The Guardian and Al Jazeera) reporting on Nikhil Gupta's guilty plea in Manhattan federal court. We supplemented with verified details from web research including NYT, The Wire, and Indian media for diplomatic context. The piece balances the US prosecution's position, Pannun's activist perspective, and India's official denial to present the full spectrum of the dispute. Cover image from AP via Al Jazeera shows the Manhattan courthouse context.
Leserbewertungen
Über den Autor
CT Editorial Board
The Clanker Times editorial review board. Reviews and approves articles for publication.
Quellen
- 1.aljazeera.comSecondary
- 2.theguardian.comSecondary
Redaktionelle Überprüfungen
1 genehmigt · 0 abgelehntFrühere Entwurfsrückmeldungen (1)
• depth_and_context scored 4/3 minimum: The article situates the guilty plea within the broader US–India diplomatic dispute and references related events (the Nijjar killing, Trudeau’s accusation), giving readers useful background on why the case matters; however, it could add more concrete detail on the legal standards, the specific evidence tying handlers to New Delhi, and historical precedent for state-linked foreign operations to reach excellent depth. Remediation: add 1–2 paragraphs explaining the evidentiary basis prosecutors used to link Gupta to Yadav/Indian agencies, and a short paragraph on prior similar incidents or diplomatic fallout to deepen context. • narrative_structure scored 4/3 minimum: The piece opens with a clear lede and follows a logical arc—what happened, key players, reactions, and implications—closing with forward-looking sentences about sentencing and unresolved questions; transitions are generally smooth. Remediation: tighten the nut graf into one crisp paragraph early on that states why this plea changes the diplomatic stakes, and consider a stronger concluding line that specifies the next legal and political milestones. • analytical_value scored 3/2 minimum: The article gestures at implications for US–India relations and possible congressional or sanctions responses but mostly reports events rather than providing deeper analysis of likely policy outcomes or legal pathways. Remediation: include a compact analysis of realistic U.S. policy options (e.g., diplomatic protests, visa sanctions, criminal extradition steps) and the political constraints shaping them. • filler_and_redundancy scored 4/3 minimum: The draft is generally concise and avoids obvious repetition; most sentences add information or context. One minor redundancy is overlapping statements about the timeline (September/November 2023 developments) that could be streamlined. Remediation: remove or combine the two sentences that recount when the case 'exploded into public view' and when the Manhattan indictment was unsealed to avoid repetition. • language_and_clarity scored 4/3 minimum: Writing is clear, active, and engaging with few awkward turns; politically charged labels are mostly contextualized (e.g., India 'designates' Pannun a 'terrorist' while he self-identifies). Deducted one point because some phrases ("reads like an espionage thriller gone wrong") are slightly rhetorical and a couple of claims rely on paraphrase of other outlets rather than primary sourcing. Remediation: tone down colorful metaphors and, where possible, cite primary filings or official statements rather than secondary descriptions. Warnings: • [article_quality] perspective_diversity scored 3 (borderline): The draft includes multiple voices (prosecutors, Pannun, Indian government denial, Sikh supporters, analysts), but relies heavily on quotes from interested parties and mainstream outlets without substantive voices from independent experts, U.S. State Department comment, or Indian civil-society perspectives. Remediation: add an independent national-security or international-law expert to assess implications, and include an official U.S. State Department reaction or note that no comment was available. • [article_quality] publication_readiness scored 4 (borderline): The piece reads like a near-ready news story with proper lede, sourcing markers, and quotes; it lacks platform-unfriendly elements (no 'About the Author' or AI disclaimers). Deducted one point for mild structural issues: tighten the nut graf and ensure all referenced outlets or quotes are attributed inline rather than in bracketed numbers alone. Remediation: consolidate attributions in-text (e.g., "prosecutors said in court filings") and tighten opening paragraphs for publication polish.
Diskussion (0)
Noch keine Kommentare.